The first Green Roof in Somerville was installed at St. Polycarp Village now many Somerville's residents are contemplating transforming its roofs into budding ecosystems. By James Reddick Hidden from the naked, street-level eye sits acres upon acres of potential green land in Somerville, a city remarkably lacking in its green spaces. In what is largely a concrete jungle, Somerville's residents, environmentalists and community leaders are contemplating transforming its roofs into budding ecosystems. The green roofs momentum has gone from the initial, trial phase – marked by the St. Polycarp Village roof installed this part summer – to a more comprehensive discussion regarding policy.

 "We're not at the point for pilot projects anymore," said Karen Weber, co-founder of Earth Our Only Home, a Boston-based organization dedicated to "greening" the urban environment. Instead, legislation is sought that would provide incentives to Somerville's residents to install green roofs atop their property. Dustin Brackney, a founding partner of Somerville's Apex Green Roofs, described the motivations on both the municipal and individual sides of the issue. For homeowners, the layers of soil above them create a cooling effect in the summer while providing heat in the winter. For the city, Green Roofs provide an absorbing property that takes in storm water and thus reduces runoff during rain storms. Last year, the Mystic River, which is the unfortunate recipient of much of Somerville's sewage overflow, received a C- grade from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), up from a "D" the year before. Alewife Brook also suffers the pollution of its neighbors. Five years ago, Somerville and Cambridge, with the help of federal funding, began work on a $75 million project to curb pollution created by Combined Sewage Overflows. As Joe Beckman, a Somerville resident, said, the millions spent to offset the consequences of storm water runoff "could fund a lot of green roofs."

Given the costs, Somerville residents would be unlikely to bear the burden of Green Roof installations on their own. The price of green roofing, said Brackney, ranges from $8 to $15 per square foot and does not include supplemental expenses like structural analyses, or building a means for roof access. At St. Polycarp, the final bill was $25,250. If Somerville were to adopt similar measures as cities like Chicago, New York and Washington, DC, it could help to make the transition more feasible for property owners. Rebekah Gewirtz, Ward 6 Alderman, is advocating for citywide action, which could entail tax abatements or other subsidies for those who wish to go green. "I firmly believe that if you incentivize, you will get a return on your investments," she said. With the assistance of Somerville Climate Action, among others, Gewirtz is collecting the information she needs in advance of a formal proposal. "There's not a lot of open space in this city," she said. "To me, it seems obvious to ask the question 'how can we maximize our space?"